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Snow Elves
This page may be a Stub or not include some information. For a full article on the topic with citations, please see ' ' at Greyhawkonline.com. Note: Snow elves are from Dragon Magazine #155, in an article not written by Gygax, so are not fully considered canon despite being written for the Greyhawk Campaign. Snow Elves'''Dragon Magazine, 155# ,"In the Frost and the Snow", David. S Reimer, 1990, 1e are very thin and wiry, but surprisingly tough and even more shockingly tall, typically reaching 7ft. The typical snow elf has light brown or tan skin, white or pale blond hair, and silver eyes. They prefer wearing only white materials, including jewellery made from bone or silver traded from Valley Elves. They have surprisingly short lifespans, for elves, only living around 750 to 900 years making them the shortest lived elves in the Flanaess. Most other elves, except Valley elves, look down on snow elves for this reason, seeing them as little better than humans with a misplaced sense of pride. It is true that snow elves are incredibly haughty, treating most other races, even other elves as completely beneath them. They get along well enough with Valley elves, but go into a berserk rage at the sight of drow to the point of having no self preservation. They have trained Hoar Foxes and bears for pets and guards. '''Habitat and Culture They live in the snowy peaks of the Crystal mists, and perhaps can be found in other such places, but strangely not in the snowy plains of Blackmoor or the lands of Black Ice. The rift between Snow elves and other elves is based in history, when the Snow Elf clans allowed the drow to escape through their territories in return for a price. The snow elves of the time claimed not to know how far the drow had fallen in their demon worship, but this event is still seen as a gross betrayal by other elves. This, combined with general elven attitudes, led to cold and distant relations with other elves. Valley elves, the other shunned elven race and neighbours, and Snow elves better tolerate each other through their shared position of elven outcasts. Snow elves don't tend to get along with non-elven races either, especially humans, as Snow elves are wont to raid and attack them. Many snow elves prefer arcane arts to cleric ones, but druids and rangers are highly valued. Living in small clans of up to 30 members, in small villages of huts shaped from woven trees and furs, Snow elves are extremely territorial, controlling areas of up to 60 square miles for large 30 member clans or 20 square miles for smaller 10 member clans. Male snow elves prefer becoming fighters, rangers or thieves, while female snow elves favour magic users. Druids are drawn from both sexes. Mixed classes are uncommon. Snow elves dislike working metal, due to their dislike of fire, and avoid wearing metal due to their cold environment. They instead prefer furs, leathers and hide- even that of white dragons if they succeed in obtaining any. They've succeeded in making dragonhide armour that is as flexible as elven chain, although only 7th level and higher druids among the snow elves now how to make such armour. This is given to respected individuals among the snow elves and occasionally gifted to valley elves (who in turn provide the snow elves with any worked metal they need). Snow elves use a musical instrument called Keras, which are similar to alpenhorns. These long horns, (4ft-20ft) made from wood or mammoth tusk, are used to communicate across long distances in complex codes or play out of festivals and holy days. Clans will not hesitate to aid each other, especially in helping fight against non snow elves, and will often gather in spring and autumn for festivals and holy days. While a snow elf would never turn away or ignore another of their kind in need, many times the troubled snow elf will be too proud to ask for help. Much of their worship is Druidic, focused around shrines built upon places of power (where the boundaries between the material plane and elemental planes of ice, air or earth are thin), but many of these shrines are dedicated to Tarsellis Meunniduin, the lesser elven god of mountains and wilderness, of whom the snow elves consider themselves the direct descendants of. Rellavar Danuvien, the Seldarine god of frost and snow, also sees worship from many Snow elves. Category:Races Category:Elves